007. Hospital

Gossip and Truth

House liked to walk, or rather limp, the corridors of the hospital. It wasn't very good for his leg but it did provide him with almost endless amusement. As long as he looked like he wasn't paying attention, people would continue talking as he went past and at his pace and with his sharp hearing that meant he usually managed to hear quite a lot of gossip.

Lately some of the best gossip had surrounded the supposedly burgeoning relationship between Chase and Cameron. He hadn't noticed anything himself but the gossipmongers in the hospital seemed certain that something was going on between them. House made a mental note to keep a closer eye on those two to see if the rumours were right. If they were then the possibilities for entertainment were endless especially since both Chase and Cameron had a tendency to react to his goading. Foreman was far more stoic and unflappable and House was always searching for ways of prodding a reaction out of him.

He came to a halt and sat down in one of his favourite listening spots. The chairs sat just on one side of a corner and there was a nurse's station just around that corner. He couldn't stretch out his legs for fear that either the nurses would know he was there and shut up or that someone coming around the corner could bump them but that seemed a small price to pay for what he usually managed to overhear. He settled down into a comfortable position in the chair and titled his head back as he listened in to what the nurses were talking about today.

"Oh, come on," one of them was saying with tired amusement. "That's an old rumour. I've been here for years and I can tell you that it's always reappearing and it's never true. Besides, Dr Wilson's married."

House's ears pricked up at the sound of Wilson's name then his eyes narrowed as he continued to listen.

"Didn't you hear?" one of the other nurses said knowingly. "He's getting divorced. Sally up in Oncology told me yesterday."

"That still doesn't mean that the rumour's true," the first nurse said almost condescendingly. "It starts every year when we get a influx of new people and they see the way Dr House and Dr Wilson act with each other. They always make the same assumption that there's something going on between the two of them and they're always wrong."

"What if I could prove the rumour was right?" said a slyly amused voice that had been silent up until now and House tensed slightly.

"How?" the other two nurses said in unison, sounding intrigued.

"Well, you know I was one late shift two nights ago?" the sly voice said, sounding like she was grinning. "I was up near Diagnostic Medicine and you know what that place is like."

"All that glass," the first nurse said. "Must be like working in a fishbowl. Can't imagine how they deal with it."

"Exactly," the sly nurse said. "And Dr Wilson's office is right next door to Dr House's and they share that balcony."

"Will you get on with it, Susan?" the second voice said impatiently. "You're killing us here."

"You need more patience, Carmen," the sly nurse, obviously Susan, said with a laugh. "Well, I was walking past and I looked through the windows. I wanted to see whether the sun had set yet but I saw something far more interesting."

"What?" Carmen demanded.

"Dr House and Dr Wilson were standing on the balcony," Susan said with a fine sense of the dramatic. "And they were kissing. And not peck on the cheek or buss on the forehead but genuine tonsil examining, wrapped around each other, if-we-had-a-bed-we'd-be-getting-it-on-right-now kissing."

There was a moment of dead silence and House let out a resigned sigh. He should have known they'd never be able to keep it secret. He grinned. Particularly when he kept pushing at Wilson's 'no fooling around at work' rule the way he did.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of two rather squeaky voices saying, "Really?"

"Yep," Susan said smugly.

"Oh…my...god," Carmen said with excitement. "That's so…adorable!"

"Adorable?" the first nurse said incredulously as House rolled his eyes then she snorted. "Well, I suppose you might be right. Who'd have thought after all these years that rumour would turn out to be true?"

"I wonder how long they've been together?" Carmen mused.

"Who cares?" the first nurse said. "Though it does explain why Dr House has been in a good mood…well, good for him…lately. I was starting to suspect he'd been replaced by a pod person but I daresay Dr Wilson could have that effect on anyone, even Dr House." There was a moment of silence then she continued in a more professional tone. "Come on, you two. We've got patients to take care of."

There was a chorus of giggles then House heard the sound of footsteps moving away from the nurse's station. The reason for the sudden bout of professionalism and the chorus of giggles was revealed when Wilson came round the corner.

"There you are," the oncologist said with a raised eyebrow. He knew why House was sitting here. "What's put that expression on your face? Was the gossip that good?"

House looked contemplative. "You could say that," he said idly. "It seems our secret's out."

Wilson's eyes widened. "What? How?"

House's expression became one of pure mischief. "We should stop kissing on the balcony in front of my office. Apparently it's a fish bowl."